MONTEVALLO, Ala. – University of Montevallo junior Vinny Rodriguez led off the 10th inning with a single up the middle and came around to score the game-winning run to give the nationally-ranked Falcons a 12-11 walk-off win over visiting West Alabama in extra innings March 18 at Kermit A. Johnson Field.
Rodriguez scored the game-winning run when sophomore Michael Simmons was hit by a pitch, the ninth batter hit by a pitch in the contest, with the bases loaded. The Falcons erased a five-run deficit heading into the eighth inning to secure the walk-off win.
Montevallo, ranked No. 24 in the latest College Baseball Lineup NCAA Division II poll, improved to 17-10 with the victory.
Rodriguez led the Falcons offensively as he finished 4-for-6 at the plate with a double. Rodriguez drove in two runs and scored two runs in the win.
Senior Jackson Slaid, who drove in three runs and scored two runs, went 2-for-6 at the plate with a double. Senior Will Fulmer finished 2-for-4 at the plate and scored three runs. Freshman Alex Jones went 2-for-5 at the plate and drove in one run.
Junior Matthew Haskins, who drove in two runs and scored one run, went 1-for-3 at the plate. Freshman Dane Hutcheon, who drove in one run and scored one run, finished 1-for-5 at the plate. Sophomore Chase Bryant, who drove in one run and scored one run, went 1-for-5 at the plate. Simmons, who drove in one run and scored one run, went 1-for-1 in a pinch-hitting role.
Junior Zack Willoughby went 1-for-3 at the plate and scored one run.
Sophomore Aron McRee (2-0) picked up the win after pitching a scoreless two innings with two strikeouts and one walk without giving up a hit.
Freshman Dustin Cowart allowed three earned runs on four hits with three walks and one strikeout in two innings.
Freshman reliever Tanner Koch allowed seven runs, including two earned runs, with three strikeouts and one walk in four innings on the mound.
Sophomore Taylor Burr gave up one unearned run on one hit with one strikeout in two innings.
West Alabama scored two runs in the top of the first inning before the Falcons plated three runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 3-2 lead.
Fulmer led off the game with a single to right field before scoring on a RBI double to right-center field by Slaid. Slaid scored on a RBI double to left-center field by Rodriguez before Willoughby scored on a RBI single to to center field by Bryant to cap the scoring in the inning.
The Tigers added a run in the top of the third inning before Montevallo responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-3 lead. Rodriguez, who singled in the inning, scored on a RBI single to right field by Jones.
West Alabama took a 8-4 lead with five runs in the top of the fourth inning, which included a two-run single by Luigi Mendez.
The Falcons scored single runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and the bottom of the seventh inning. Fulmer singled up the middle and stole second base before scoring on a RBI single up the middle by Haskins in the fourth inning, while Slaid reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a RBI double to right-center field by Rodriguez in the bottom of the seventh inning.
West Alabama scored a run in the top of the eighth inning to extend its lead to 11-6 before Montevallo plated five runs in the bottom of half of the frame to tie the game.
Bryant reached on a fielder's choice before scoring on a RBI single by Hutcheon. Simmons, who reached on an infield single, scored when Haskins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Hutcheon and Fulmer, who reached on a walk, scored on a two-run single by Slaid.
Haskins scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
The Falcons plated the game-winning run when Rodriguez, who singled up the middle to lead off the inning, scored when Simmons was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Falcons will return to action this weekend at Kermit A. Johnson Field in a three-game series against Lander University, which enters the series ranked No. 2 in the latest College Baseball Lineup NCAA Division II poll.
First pitch in the series opener is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
